


an eternity and a day

by etoilette



Series: Kinktober 2020 [30]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Marriage, Post-Canon, Slow Dancing, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:16:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27315397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilette/pseuds/etoilette
Summary: Day #31 of Kinktober: Free Day (Marriage)His own eyes probably aren't any better, and he can still feel the dry itching from earlier unshed tears. He made the mistake of injecting too much genuine emotion into his wedding speech to Akechi, and the second that the words "you are my light" passed through his lips, he had to look away from Akechi's face, crumpling the paper in his hand, as a wave of sentiment washed from his chest and poured into the rest of his body.But he's okay now. He's so okay, in fact, that he's going to beat Akechi in a staring contest right here, right now.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Kinktober 2020 [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949695
Comments: 5
Kudos: 93





	an eternity and a day

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to my dear [ethyxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethyxx/pseuds/ethyxx) who helped me to elevate a joke tweet into something beautiful. 
> 
> Originally the joke was that the free day of Kinktober would be for missionary married sex but I got too invested in the 'married' part oops. I tried to put in as many Phantom Thieves and co-op characters as I could but obviously didn't tag them all because that would be crazy, especially since characters like Shinya and Chihaya only get a passing mention. Anyone who actually has a line or does something is put in.

The first argument was over what kind of flowers they would have at the reception. The second argument took place a day later, when they fought over what kind of cake they would have. Akira can still remember with perfect clarity the look of fear and shock on the bakery employee's face as the two of them rolled around in the middle of the store, trying desperately to tear the other one apart.

All because Goro wanted a coffee cake for the wedding and Akira wanted something loaded with buttercream.

If the employee hadn't threatened to call the police on them, they surely would have trashed the entire store. A week later, Goro sent them about 50,000 yen of reparations, even though they had been careful to avoid actually damaging the store itself.

"It'll never work between them."

Akira knows that the majority of the people in their lives thought that. He knew that they had a betting pool going on as to when Akira and Goro would break up. Or call off the wedding. Or move out of the apartment they bought together a year after Goro returned from wherever he disappeared to after he escaped from Shido's Palace.

In the beginning, maybe part of why the two of them held onto each other was to show everyone else that they could do it. Goro is the type to cut his nose off to spite his face, but Akira has no room to talk because he's exactly the same. It's not commendable, but Akira would literally defenestrate himself if it means he could prove someone wrong.

But now, as he stands at the altar, staring into Goro's smiling face as the gathered crowd of friends and family and former associates watch on in silence, all of that is the furthest thing from his mind.

Goro's hands clutched in his own are warm and shaking, just slightly. Or perhaps the trembling is from his own hands? It's impossible to tell with how tightly he's gripping onto Akechi, as if his body thinks that if he lets go, then Akechi will disappear in a wave of bubbles. Akechi is biting his lip, and Akira would ask if Akechi's about to burst into tears or laughter, except the officiator is droning on about how true love has no limits and boundaries.

He hears sniffling in the crowd. He wants to look to see if it's Sojiro or Kawakami or maybe Yoshida. But if he looks away now, then he would lose. Goro hasn't blinked in the past minute or so, and the last time they had a staring contest over the last bit of croquette, Goro had been the winner. There's a strange sheen over Goro's eyes, and Akira can't help but wonder if that's because of the fluorescent lighting in Kanda Church.

His own eyes probably aren't any better, and he can still feel the dry itching from earlier unshed tears. He made the mistake of injecting too much genuine emotion into his wedding speech to Goro, and the second that the words "you are my light" passed through his lips, he had to look away from Goro's face, crumpling the paper in his hand, as a wave of sentiment washed from his chest and poured into the rest of his body.

But he's okay now. He's so okay, in fact, that he's going to beat Goro in a staring contest right here, right now.

Is your own wedding supposed to be this dull? Is the groom usually supposed to be thinking so many things during the ceremony, right before he's to be officially wedded to the love of his life? But what is there to say? What is there to think about? Anything that would have run through his mind here — at this moment, at this place — he has already thought, ever since he met Goro that fateful June day.

He squeezes Goro's hands and he feels Goro squeeze back even harder. He traces a circle on the back on Goro's thumb, and Goro loosens his hands a little bit before pulling away slightly. Just enough that he can separate his hands from Akira's, but not so obvious that he would cause a stir among the gathered crowd.

Akira barely has any time to feel a stab of triumph at his victory because Goro threads their hands together again, rubbing the sides of his fingers against Akira's. The whispering sensation, so reminiscent of nights cozying up to each other after a session in bed, makes Akira let out a soft gasp and he sees the faintest quirk at the corner of Goro's lips.

Goro clasps their palms together, the tips of his fingers meeting Akira's knuckles, and he doesn't hold back in rubbing them against the sensitive backs of Akira's hands.

Is he for real? Right here and right now?

Akira bites his lip so he doesn't moan and interrupt the officiator's speech, but he mirrors Goro's motions, tracing meaningless letters and symbols into Goro's smooth skin. He hears the faintest catch in Goro's throat, sees those beautiful ruby eyes dart down to where their hands are intertwined. Goro opens his mouth and —

" _Ahem._ "

The two of them blink at the officiator, who is staring at them with a raised eyebrow. From behind him, Akira can hear a voice that sounds suspiciously like Ryuji's groan and he can hear either Makoto or Sae whisper, "Are they for real?"

"Sorry," coughs Goro. "Could you repeat that?"

The officiator sighs, looking like he wishes he could be anywhere except here at that moment. "I said, do you take Akechi Goro to be your lawful husband?"

Oh, god, isn't this the most important part of the wedding?

"I do," Akira says hurriedly.

"And you, Akechi Goro. Do you take Kurusu Akira to be your lawful husband?"

"I do," Goro replies.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and husband."

Raucous applause sounds from the audience and the grainy melody of some retro love song Sojiro requested plays from the DJ booth set up in the corner of the hall. He hears Ryuji whistle as if he's watching a sports game at the bar.

Akira leans forward as fast as he can so he can be the one who kisses Goro first, but Goro lets go of his hand, cradling Akira's cheek in his. The amount of strength he puts into his fingers to hold Akira's head in place borders on painful, though, and before Akira could open his mouth to call Goro out on cheating, Goro dips his face forward and presses a chaste kiss against Akira's mouth.

He makes no effort to deepen it, even when Akira parts his lips to welcome in Goro's tongue. It's sweet and romantic, and for a second, the competition flits away from Akira's head and he focuses his attention on putting in all of the love he has for Goro into the kiss. He lets go of Goro's other hand so that he can hold the back of Goro's head, pressing him closer against his face.

When the two break apart, gasping for air, Akira whispers against Goro's lips, "I won that one. You broke away first."

Goro glares at him. "No, I didn't."

"You want to go again?"

"My pleasure."

But before Akira could press his mouth against Goro's for round two, Ryuji yells out from next to the altar, "Yo! We're starving! Stop kissing! Hurry up and dance so we can go eat!"

As far as weddings go, the one between Akira and Goro isn't very traditional. Considering the only place they could rent was Kanda Church (and even then, only when Akira called in a personal favour from the priest), they had to incorporate a few western traditions. But it's not as if Akira or Goro have been to enough weddings to think there was anything off about this one.

"It's a lot more casual than what I'm used to!" Haru had commented when she dropped her thick envelope of cash off at the reception desk. But Haru's idea of a casual night out involves renting out the entirety of Destinyland for a small group of about ten people, so Haru's standards are not something that Akira likes to base his decisions on.

Speaking of Haru, though, the idea of a first dance had been her idea, stating that it's an "absolute must" for a wedding. Kanda Church, with its oppressively sombre interior, hardly seems the place for a ballroom dance of any kind, but Haru had been so insistent that she somehow roped all of the former Phantom Thieves into calling for a dance.

"Do you even want to see me and Goro dancing?" Akira asked Ryuji exasperatedly while Futaba lead the frenzied Thieves into a chant of "dance, dance, dance!"

"Well, no," Ryuji replied, scratching the back of his head sheepishly before he grinned and dug his elbow into Akira's side. "But any chance to see that bastard Akechi embarrass himself in front of a crowd of people? I'm in!"

"You know that I'm going to be marrying 'that bastard Akechi', right?"

"Yeah, dude? It's not like you're taking his last name or anything."

"Uh-huh..."

At the time, Akira hadn't though much of the first dance thing. It was a silly tradition that he shouldn't have to follow because he's Japanese and he also doesn't think that Goro knows how to dance very well, especially with a partner. He had bowed to peer pressure (at his own wedding, even!) and he regretted it terribly.

Until this very moment. Somehow, the idea of twirling and spinning with the love of his life while all of his friends and pseudo-family proudly watch on is quite appealing once he gets over the inherent awkwardness of it all. It's like he's parading around his husband and vice versa, and there's nothing that anyone can do to stop them.

If it means that he can show up Goro, with his two left feet when it comes to anything physical other than bouldering and bicycling and combat and sex? Well, that's just a fun little bonus.

Akira holds a hand out, flourishing as he bows so long that his spine is at a perfect ninety degrees angle. "May I have this dance, sir?" he asks, pitching his voice low and seductive just the way Goro likes it.

He pointedly ignores the wolf whistles coming from...he guesses Ryuji and Mishima.

Goro places his hand into Akira's waiting palm, lacing their fingers together so tightly that Akira feels his joints bruise. "I'd be delighted," he says cheerily, tightening his grip until Akira's knees threaten to buckle from the pain.

The two of them walk to the center of the pews, which is the only place they could have any sort of dance in the cramped space of Kanda Church. Ann, Yusuke, and Sumire all had aisle seats and they jump to their feet, moving away as Akira and Goro draw closer. Hifumi blinks in confusion when Yusuke tugs her to her feet, dragging her with him as he relocates closer to the walls of the church. Out of the corner of his eye, Akira could see Ann and Sumire doing the same thing with Kawakami and Chihaya. As if they're police officers directing the flow of traffic or something.

"It's because you have two left feet," Goro whispers into his ear, nodding at Sumire ushering Shinya away. "Have to evacuate the guests so you don't accidentally trample them."

Akira frowns. The _gall_ of this man to say that _Akira_ is the one who can't dance, when Akira distinctly remembers Goro crashing into the kitchen counter and sending all of their priceless china shattering on the floor the one time he tried to perform a drunken pirouette. "Remind me, which one of us has actually gotten dance lessons before?"

Goro doesn't say anything, instead focusing his attention on smiling politely at the guests gathered around them. "Thank you for coming here to see us today," he says, projecting his voice to be heard. The acoustics of the church is wonderful, and Goro's voice echoes and booms as if he's a priest giving a sermon. "After our first dance, we'll relocate to Kitaoji for dinner."

"Kitaoji!" Yusuke bellows, lurching forward as if he wants to run up to Goro and clasp his hands. Hifumi holds him back, her face flushed with exertion as she struggles against his deceptively slim frame. "Sushi...sukiyaki...sashimi...What are we doing here, idling ourselves while the two of you dance? Why not let us go to the restaurant first?"

"Kitagawa-kun, that's not how weddings work," Hifumi tries, but Yusuke yells over her, "I demand that we be released this instant! You cannot hold us hostage forever!"

"The reservation isn't for another half an hour," Akira points out. "Even if you go, you wouldn't be allowed in."

"What..." Yusuke gasps and he slumps against the wall, squishing Hifumi against the stone.

"Can we play the music now?" the hired DJ asks.

Goro waves his hand in the air like he's a prince greeting his subjects, and the DJ rolls his eyes before he presses a button. A slow jazz tune starts up and Akira recognizes it instantly as...

" _No More What Ifs,_ " he says, smiling. He takes one of Akechi's hands and holds it up to their shoulder, while his other arm snakes its way around Akechi's slim waist. Goro rolls his eyes and places his free hand on Akira's other shoulder. "Never pegged you to be such a romanticist."

"I knew you're one," Goro replies loftily and Akira pulls him in tighter, until there is hardly any room between the two of them. "I figured if we were to dance to anything at our wedding, it would be to this."

"Looks like I'm not the only romanticist around — ow!" Akira winces, stepping back slightly when he feels a sharp sting run up the tips of his toes. Goro smiles at him innocently and Akira scowls. "Goro, these shoes were expensive."

Goro blinks and gets the most exaggeratedly innocent look on his face, all doe eyes and shock. "I'm sorry, Akira. Silly me. I'm just so clumsy. My apologies for — hey!"

Akira grins, lifting his heel up from Goro's toes. "Truce."

"Fine."

The two of them sway to the slow rhythm of the song, and though the crowd had been raucous earlier, they're hushed now. Even Yusuke and Ryuji look in awe, swept away by the mystical atmosphere perpetrated by the solemn backdrop and the smooth crooning of the jazz singer.

It was perfect. Or it would have been perfect, if Goro could stop putting in little improvised flairs here and there.

"Ow!" Goro hisses, digging his nails into Akira's shoulder. Akira winces at the sharp pinpricks of pain spiking up his collarbone, but it's nothing compared to the murder promised in Goro's eyes as he glares at him. "Do you know how to dance, Akira?" he snarls. "Would it have _killed_ you to have looked up a tutorial or something before this day? Why were you so insistent about a dance at the wedding, when you have no fucking clue what you're doing?"

Akira hadn't wanted to say anything, considering Goro's the one who's getting his toes stepped on, but that's just unfair. "I know how to dance!" he protests. "I took dance classes for six years!"

"When you were _twelve years old!_ "

"You're the one who doesn't know what he's doing yet _insists_ on trying to make this more complicated than it needs to be!"

"Oh god, here they go again," he hears someone say in the crowd. He hears some jangles and rustlings, as if money is being handed off between various people, and he thinks he hears the sloshing of liquid in glass. Ohya probably snuck in alcohol under her dress. Though, when Akira chances a quick look around, practically everybody has a bottle or flask in their hand. And speaking of Ohya, the woman is so drunk she's practically passed out between an annoyed Lala and a bemused Yoshida.

Huh.

Goro glares at him but shakes his head. "Enough. We shouldn't be fighting on this day. Let's just get this over with."

"I don't think that's the attitude you should take on this special day," Akira can't resist saying, but he resumes the slow sway anyway.

By his calculation, there's approximately two minutes left of the song and in retrospect, they really could have allowed the guests to dance along with them, since he's sure it's boring to watch the two of them shuffle in the aisle.

Sure, Akira loved the weight of attention as _Joker_ , when he was all dramatics and flair, but in this slow intimacy with the man he chose to spend the rest of his life with, it's like he accidentally asked his guests to indulge in some sort of voyeurism. The softness of Akechi's hands against him are —

"Ah!"

Akira reaches out and steadies himself onto Goro's shoulder, but his face collides against Goro's surprisingly solid chest anyway. His calf aches from where Goro swiped at him with his leg, and he spitefully hopes that he got make-up and hair gel all over the expensive silk of Goro's suit.

"What was that for?" Akira splutters.

Despite the argument breaking out in the middle of the church, the priest doesn't ask them to kindly refrain from bickering while in the presence of God. The hired DJ doesn't stop the song or pause it so they could work out their issues. It's as if they hoped that the sweet serenade of _No More What Ifs_ could soothe the two's frayed nerves, but there is no balm that could ever smooth away the utter betrayal that Akira feels at this moment.

Goro looks way too proud of himself, even though he kicked his own husband while at their wedding dance. There is a smug smirk on his face and absolutely no remorse in his tone as he replies, "You know what that was for."

"No, I don't! I wasn't stepping on you on purpose or anything!"

"Could you guys keep dancing, please?"

"Are they always like this? Should we stop them?"

"Yes. And no, if you know what's good for you, you should stay out of their way. Poor Yusuke got a concussion once trying to stop them."

"I wasn't trying to stop them. I was trying to find a good angle to capture that passion. I simply did not see the wooden duck that Akira threw at Akechi's head."

Akira growls and sweeps Goro's leg, catching him off-guard. But he doesn't collapse, nor does he windmill his arms pathetically like Akira had hoped he would. His grip loosens from the surprise but he grabs onto the lapels of Akira's suit and he pulls down with so much strength that Akira is the one who loses his balance and tumbles down to the ground.

Before he could hit the floor, he reaches out and snags Goro's pants, pulling as hard as he could.

"I'm wearing a belt, you moron," Goro snaps. "You can't pants me."

"No, but I can do this."

Akira punches Goro's knee — hard enough that it would hurt but not hard enough that he would accidentally do some serious damage — and Goro yelps as he staggers. He manages to get a fist in Akira's hair, pulling on the gelled curls _hard._ It's like he doesn't even care if he accidentally turns his husband as bald as his father. Akira is forced to grab onto Goro's arm, unfortunately helping him to keep his balance, lest Goro rip out all of his beautiful hair.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Ryuji yells, clapping his hands rhythmically as if he wants to start a group chant at a riot.

"Fight, fight, fight!" Ohya screeches; she must have woken up from her drunken stupour. Poor woman must be so confused. The last thing she remembers, she was at a wedding, and now it's like she's been thrown right into the middle of a bar brawl.

Goro must have been planning on having Akira stabilize him before he could completely lose his balance, but that was the wrong play. Keeping his grip firm around Goro's arm, Akira heaves himself up instead of trying to tear himself away from Goro's grip. He throws himself forward, bodily tackling Goro to the ground.

"Oof!" Goro grunts and the grip on Akira's head loosens enough for Akira to shake himself free. Goro tries to push himself up, but Akira bunkers down, using all of his considerable strength to keep himself on Goro's body. When Goro tries to use his hands to push Akira away, Akira grabs them, keeping them at bay.

It's like trying to pin down a crocodile. His fingers are intertwined with Goro's as he forces Goro's hands to either side of his head, away from anywhere soft and fragile on Akira's body. The metal band around Akechi's left ring finger digs painfully into his skin, and he knows that the matching ring on his own hand is causing just as much damage.

He pants heavily, trying desperately to gulp down as much air as he can, and underneath him, Goro doesn't fare any better.

"I win," Akira wheezes. "This means that our daily tally is now 50-49 in my favour."

"You didn't win anything," Goro snarls but he cuts himself off with a pained grunt when Akira settles his weight even more on his stomach. Their tuxedos are a lost cause now, but thankfully, they're just rentals.

Did the rental place charge anything extra if the suits came back damaged? Akira hadn't read the fine print, fully expecting that the wedding would be a peaceful event, but it looks like he'll have to call them first thing in the morning just in case he needs to pull out his rainy day savings.

Akira looks around at the gathered guests, who are all staring down at them in a mix of disgust, awe, bemusement, and shock.

"Thank you all for coming to our wedding today and for witnessing our first dance. We have made reservations under Kurusu Akira and Akechi Goro at the nearby Kitaoji, and we've arranged for several limousines to take us all there."

Behind him, he can hear the hired DJ flip on a nameless instrumental jazz track that Goro must have put on the wedding playlist as a background accompaniment while the guests start to walk out the door.

"I need a smoke," the DJ announces to nobody. "I'll be outside and I'll be back in an hour or so to turn off the music. You two are freaks."

"Food!" Ryuji cheers, as if he didn't hear a single word the DJ said. Knowing him, he probably didn't. He slings an arm around Yusuke's shoulder, who looks two seconds away from bolting. "Finally!" He jerks his thumb behind him to where the doors are, and says, "C'mon, dude. I'm starvin' for some sukiyaki and I'm sure Yusuke here is ready for some sushi, right?"

"Of course," Yusuke replies. "The plan is to sample at least five of every type of fish they have at the restaurant."

Akira stands up and dusts himself off. Before Goro could sit up, he reaches down and gives Goro his most charming smile.

Goro smiles back, all pleasant edges and cheery furor, and grabs Akira's hand, tugging him back down.

"Wh—" Akira yelps but before he could say anything else, Goro's tongue is in his mouth, exploring planes that Goro probably knows like the back of his hand by now. Not one to lose, Akira's tongue darts out to press against Goro's, but it's like trying to catch a snake as Goro continues to lick against the roof of Akira's mouth and along the surface of his teeth. He even purposely nicks himself against Akira's canine, dragging the muscle against the edge until the sharp taste of rust fills Akira's senses. He swallows, his throat dry despite the saliva pouring into his mouth.

Akira breaks away, panting, and there's no stopping the stirring in his pants when he looks into Goro's flushed face, with his swollen lips and mussed-up hair. His tie is loose and his suit in disarray from the earlier scuffle, but instead of filling Akira with triumph that he had managed to best Goro in combat, Akira wants to see just how much more he can ruin him.

"We're tied now," Goro pants.

"Goro," Akira starts but Ryuji yells, "Oh my GOD, you two cannot be for real right now!"

Makoto claps her hands loudly and says, "Alright, everyone, follow me. We'll go to Kitaoji first and have a nice dinner. I'm sure Akira and Akechi will follow when they...finish up whatever business they have left here."

Akira tears his gaze away from Akechi's face and he watches as Ryuji throws him one last disgusted look before following the rest of the guests out of the church. Even though they're abandoning the stars of the night, they look in high spirits, chatting excitedly about what they plan to eat and how much they plan to drink.

Makoto brings up the rear and she gives them one exhausted look, and opens her mouth as if to say something. Sae nudges her with a stern look and Makoto sighs. "Just...make sure you two come before the night is over," she says, and she loops her arm with Sae's and the Niijima sisters leave the church.

Alone at last.

"Sex in a church?" Akira asks. He leans down, so close to Akechi's face that he must be all that Akechi can see at the moment. Just the way that it should always be. "Naughty, naughty, Mr. Kurusu."

"Well, since it got me to a 50-50 tie with my husband, making out in a church wasn't so bad," Goro shoots back. Akira scoffs but anything he wanted to say is jerked out of his head when Goro takes a hold of his tie and pulls him down. His lips brush against Akira's as he whispers, "Just what will actually having sex in a church get me, Mr. Akechi?"

A dark thrill runs through Akira's body and he bridges the distance between their faces, pressing his tongue into Goro's mouth. To his delight, Goro lets him take control, allowing Akira to plunge into his mouth unimpeded and unchallenged. Akira's hands explore the planes of Goro's body, loosening and tearing away at the fabric so that the pale perfection of Goro's skin is revealed in the solemn silence of the empty church. He feels Goro mirroring the action, and goosebumps break out over his skin when he feels the cold breeze brush against it.

Every time the two break the kiss to suck in a quick breath of air, they don't hesitate to meet again, pressing deeper and closer every time.

 _I love you_ , Akira says when he strokes down Goro's side and breathes in the familiar clean scent of his skin.

 _I love you_ , Akira hears Goro reply when Goro cups the back of his head so he could enjoy the kiss a second longer.

"I'll never let you go again," Akira whispers when Goro finally releases him, pressing his forehead against Goro's.

Goro doesn't say anything, but that's alright, because Goro's body says _yes_ and _me too_ a million times as Akira engraves his eternal love into his husband.


End file.
